I'm Nothing Without You
by Yuu Leiko
Summary: Luke returns home after two years to the Fabre's, but is only able to morn the loss of Asch, instead of joining in on the celebration of his safety. But can a supposed death break the bond between this replica and his original? YAOI
1. After The Return

**Yuu: Phew! Finally finished the first chapter! I _really _gotta stop writing these on my iPod in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. Wrote it from 2:00 to 5:00 -_-'**

_Leiko: Ya think? But I am ashamed to say that I have only seen Abyss, and none of the other "Tales of -" series._

**Yuu: Damn right you should be. Lucky for you, I have them all on DVD! Get the popcorn! ^_^**

_Leiko: Oh jeez. Anyway, we do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this._

**_WARNING: THIS STORY IS BASED OFF OF THE ANIME, NOT GAME (NEVER PLAYED IT) AND IT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM THE ANIME! READ ON IF YOU DON'T CARE!_**

* * *

Luke was out in the courtyard, having a sparring match with his best friend, Guy. He had finally been able to visit, which didn't happen very often, since he now lived in the Malkuth Empire. Reclaiming his title of a Duke, Guy had been helping Emperor Peony to rebuild the kingdom. He also served as a "goodwill ambassador" between the two kingdoms, the same as Luke and Natalia. "So," Guy said, as he took a swing with his sword at Luke. "Have you readjusted to your normal life here in Kimlasca?"

Luke had apparently been missing for two years after their fight with Van. However, to Luke it felt like no time had gone by. Needless to say, he was surprised to see how he and his surroundings had changed when he awoke. Luke sighed, as he parried and countered Guy's attack. "I don't really know. I've been gone so long, but it's only felt a short while to me." No one is really sure what happened to Luke after he used the Key. He claimed to have woken up in the collapsed town of Hod. He healed up, got some new clothes, and on his way home, he ran into his friends, waiting for him in the cove. He had a promise to Tear, after all.

"It's just, ever since I came home, something hasn't felt... Right. I mean, everyone accepted me back with open arms, calling me a hero." He slashed at Guy, only to be countered. "And it felt great, to be honest. Everyone was so proud of me: all of my friends, my parents, Uncle, even Emperor Peony. Apparently he even named one of his rappigs after me." Guy laughed and started to take on offensive against Luke, who was receiving an onslaught of attacks to parry. "Hahaha! Yeah, that sounds like something he would do."

Despite Guy's light-hearted tone, he still somehow held a serious look during his attacks. "I don't know what's got into me! I've been back for a month, and every thing is back to how it used to be, but... Now it doesn't feel right." Luke blocked a swing of Guy's, and returned with an offensive of his own. "I feel like everyone's forgotten! They're calling me a hero! I don't deserve that! I've made so many mistakes, one resulting in the death of thousands! Mother and Father still call me their son, but... I'm really not! I'm just a replica! Just... Asch's replica..."

Noticing Luke losing his concentration, Guy knocked Luke's sword out of his hand. Tilting his own sword, he used the hilt to hit Luke behind his knees, causing him to fall flat on his butt. Guy knelt on his knees in front of Luke, like he used to do when he served him. Except this time, he smacked him upside the head. Luke looked a little taken aback by this. Guy, looking frustrated, let out a deep sigh. "_That's_ what has been bothering you? Listen Luke, you may have made mistakes in the past, but you've _more_ than made up for them! You may be a replica, but you're still their son and my friend. You're still the same Luke we all know and love, no matter what you are or where you came from."

Guy gave Luke a sincere look. Luke let a smile slip from his lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He looked up at guy with a questioning look and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you could say such mushy stuff. I bet you've become quite the lady-killer, huh?" Guy's face turned a slight red, and he started to chase Luke around the mansion.

As Luke ran around a corner, with Guy close behind, he accidentally bumped into Natalia. Well, not "bumped" exactly, more like tackled. As the two hit the ground, Guy skidded to a halt just behind Luke. "Oh, Natalia, are you alright?" Luke looked up to see her glaring at him. (_Oh boy)_ "Ah, s-sorry, Natalia, I didn't see you there." He stood up and offered her his hand.

A little reluctantly, she took it, and he pulled her up. "Well, to be honest, it was Guy's fault." Guy looked astonished. "What! No it is not!" Ignoring his friend, Luke continued. "He was chasing me you see, and-" Natalia held one hand up, while brushing off her pants with her other. "I don't care whose fault it is. You BOTH should learn to act your age! And to think you're nobles, my lord, what to do with you two."

Luke rolled his eyes at her remark. _(She's become even more annoying than before!) _When he looked back at her, he saw she was wearing a hooded cloak, thick boots, and had her bow and arrows on her back. "Going somewhere?" He asked. She only shook her head. "Where I go doesn't concern you." She turned to Guy. "I won't be gone long. I'll be sure to be back to see you off tomorrow."

She waved to them as she rounded the corner. Guy looked after her with a worried expression on his face. When he heard the door open and close, and Natalia's footsteps gone, Luke asked him. "What's wrong? You look concerned..." This snapped Guy out of his reverie. "Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, it's almost time for dinner. Shall we go, then?" He turned away and walked down the hall without hearing Luke's answer.

After dinner, Luke lay on his bed, trying to relax. Even though Guy gave him comforting words, Luke was still feeling... Something. He wasn't quite sure what it was: regret, sadness, emptiness, frustration, or anger. If anything, it was all of these mixed together. For some reason, _only_ _two_words from his conversation earlier with Guy kept repeating in his head. ("Replica... Asch's replica...") Luke closed his eyes, letting tears he didn't know he was holding back fall down his cheeks. Soon, he started to drift off to sleep. "Asch..." Luke whispered. "A...sch."

That night, Luke dreamt of the day Asch died, and how he carried his lifeless body. How Asch's death meant Luke could live. It was then Luke realized what he had been feeling since he'd come home. Loneliness. Even if his family and friends had welcomed him back, or if he was treated as a hero, even though it _seemed _that everything was normal, it really wasn't... At least not without Asch there. It's like he had become _a part_of Luke. When had he started to care so much about him? Was it because he was his original? Or something else? All Luke knew, was that without Asch there with him, he just felt... Alone.

* * *

_Leiko: That's... fairly depressing. _

**Yuu: I know! Two of my 5 favorite characters died in the series! Asch and Ion! (*starts tearing up*) Asch's finger twitched! He may still be alive! Or something, I don't know!**

_Leiko: ooookaaaaay. Uh, this will probably only be a few chapters long (and it WILL be a Asch x Luke yaoi), but even so, enjoy and review!_


	2. The Reason

**Yuu: WHY MUST I WRITE THESE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!**

_Leiko: I DON'T KNOW! But we do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this._

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Guy wandered the halls of the Fabre house, finding his way to Luke's bedroom. It was starting to get late, and Guy was going to be leaving for the Malkuth Empire in only a few short hours. As he made his way towards the bedroom he heard Luke scream. He hurried to the room and flung the doors open. Guy saw him curled up on his sheets, both hands clinging to his head. He looked to be in agony, and eyes were closed tight with tears streaming down his face. Guy ran to his friend's side, and held his shoulder. "LUKE!" He shouted. "Luke, are you alright? What's wrong!" Luke didn't seem to notice Guy's presence. As he continued to writhe in pain, he let out another agonizing scream. Servants started gathering at the room's entrance, drawn by the noise. Guy ordered one of the servants to find the household doctor.

Not long after the woman left, Luke started to calm down. His thrashing soon stopped and his screams ceased to exist. When his episode was over, he looked to be sleeping peacefully. No one would guess what had just happened unless you saw it (or noticed he was drenched in sweat). When the doctor showed up, Guy explained what had happened. The doctor asked everyone to leave the room, so he could examine Luke. As they were waiting for the results in the hallway, Luke's parents and Natalia showed up after being informed of Luke's condition. Guy tried to fill them in as best he could, but the doctor came out, interrupting his explanation.

He waved in Luke's parents, who allowed Natalia and Guy to follow. When they were all in, the doctor gave them the results. "Nothing!" Guy exclaimed. "How could there be nothing wrong with him?" the doctor just shook his head. "I'm not sure. My best guess would be that it was just a terrible migraine. He used to get them often, didn't he?" Guy nodded. "Yeah, but he hasn't had them in a while. We thought he was finally done with them. Besides," he added. "None of them were ever this horrible or long." The doctor shrugged.

"Unfortunately, that's the best explanation I have. Physically, he's completely healthy. If there is a problem, it's probably related to his emotional state of mind. You should see if anything's bothering him." The man walked out of the room, and Luke's parents walked to his bedside. Natalia, standing next to Guy, leaned in and asked; "You know something, don't you?" he turned and looked at her. "I'll you tell later," he responded, nodding in the direction of Luke's parents. Natalia shook her head in agreement.

Luke's parents remained at his bedside until they were called on by the king. Leaving Luke in Guy and Natalia's care, they left, closing his door behind them. "Alright," Natalia said, as she took a seat on Luke's bed. "What's going on?" Guy walked to the end of the room, and looked out the window. "Actually, I don't know all that much more than you," he said. He told her of the conversation he and Luke had the day before.

She listened to the whole story, and when Guy finished, she gave her opinion. "I see. So that's why he's been acting strange." She looked at Luke with sad eyes. "I think... He's regretting surviving the fight on Hod against Van." Guy looked at her surprised. "Why do you say that?" She looked up at Guy, her eyes serious. "He's trying to live a normal life, like the one he used to have before he found out he was a replica. But he doesn't know how to go about that. I think, even if Luke himself doesn't know, that he's regretting living because Asch, his original, didn't survive. Now that he knows he's only a copy, Luke thinks this all should belong to Asch, not himself." She stood up and walked to the door. "Of course, this is just my speculation." She looked back at Guy. "Oh, and don't forget you have to leave soon. I'll be back to see you off."

After Natalia left, Guy went to sit beside Luke on his bed. _(Even after death, he's still causing us problems, huh? I mean, first Natalia theorizes that if Luke lived, then so did Asch, and starts to look all over Kimlasca for him. And now Luke starts to have migraines again). _While being lost in thought, Guy doesn't even notice Luke starting to wake up.

"H-huh? Guy, what are you doing in my bedroom?" Guy was shocked by the sudden voice. "Wha- Oh, Luke, you're awake. How're you feeling?" Luke got up, and sat cross-legged. "I feel fine. Why do you ask?" Guy returned this with a confused stare. "W-why do I- because you had some sort of terrible migraine, that's why!" Luke cocked his head to the side in a confused manner. "Did I? I don't remember... Maybe it's because I was asleep?" Guy sighed. "Maybe..." He got up from the bed. "Anyway, I need to get ready to leave for Malkuth. You should get changed." He walked out the door, leaving behind a confused Luke.

Guy stood by the entrance to the estate, waiting for Luke to show up. As he saw Luke running towards him, he muttered, "Fashionably late, as always." When Luke caught up to him, he glanced around, noticing that no one else was there. "Where is everyone? I thought they were supposed to see you off?" Guy nodded. "They already did. You came late so I had to wait for you." He bowed and stuck his arm out in the direction of the road leading away from the estate. "Shall we?"

The two friends walked through town, sharing stories and stopping on occasion to say hi to people they knew. Even though they were still a little ways away from the harbor, Luke could already guess which boat was for his friend. "Hey Guy?" He glanced at Luke. "What?" Pointing to the harbor, Luke asked, "You wouldn't by any chance be riding the Tartarus home, would you?" Following the direction of Luke's hand, Guy saw what he was pointing at and smiled.

It was the huge golden warship in the flesh. "Yep. Jade's supposed to be commanding it. I'm not sure if Anise will be there, though." Luke sighed. "He doesn't need to take that giant monstrosity. Kimlasca and Malkuth are allies, now." Guy laughed as they reached the dock. "Hahaha, Jade's probably just trying to compensate for something!" Luke started to laugh, but suddenly stopped, and looked to the side. "Hm? What's up, Luke?"

A deep voice from behind Guy responded, "Yes, what _is_up Luke?" Guy froze for a moment, and then let out a sigh. "Jade's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Luke nodded, while the man answered, "Why, yes he is." Guy turned around to be faced by Jade, who pushed his glasses up his nose. "Now, if you don't mind my asking," he said. "What do you believe I'm compensating for?"

Guy took a few steps back, and hid behind Luke. "W-wha- well, I don't know, really, I mean, it's just a joke. Ya know, Jade... Haha... Ha." He laughed nervously as Jade reached out his hand. Expecting to be punched, or struck by magic, Guy closed his eyes. Waiting for a moment, and feeling no pain, Guy opened his eyes to see Luke and Jade shaking hands.

"It's good to see you again, Luke. How have you been?" Luke smiled. "It's great to see you too, Jade. I've been just fine. You?" Jade looked a little saddened. "Fine, I guess. It's just been so boring lately. Were not in any wars now so there's nothing for me to do, really. And His Majesty keeps giving me ridiculous errands, like picking up this guy."

Luke laughed and stepped to the side, revealing Guy to Jade. "Well, I didn't _ask_ for _you_to pick me up, now did I?" Jade chuckled. "Well, it's been good seeing you, Luke. It's regrettable that I can't stay and catch up, but we really must go." Luke shook his hand again. "It's fine, I understand. Next time." Now it was Guy's turn to speak up. "What're you two talking about? Luke's coming with us to Malkuth."

* * *

**Yuu: DUN, DUN, DUUUUN! Luke gets a suprise vacation!**

_Leiko: Yep! And no Guy, Luke's fine. He's only screaming to burn calories._

**Yuu: -_-' well, please review!**


	3. Who Am I Really?

**Yuu: Help, I need somebody! Help, Not just anybody! Help, I need someone! Heeelp! I'm losing so much sleep cause I write these from about 2-5am _every night!_ T^T**

_Leiko: Then just go to bed instead!_

**Yuu: I do! I write these at night only because I _can't_**** sleep in the first place! (*starts crying*)**

_Leiko: ...Are you serious? Anyway, we do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, any of The Beatles songs, or anything in this._

* * *

"...What?" Luke looked at Guy with astonishment. "What did you say?" Guy turned to look at Luke. "I said you're coming with us. You're family thought it would be best if you took a little... vacation for a while." He glanced at Jade. "So you two will have plenty of time to catch up." Guy turned away, and walked up the ramp to board the Tartarus. Luke sighed. "I wish they would have told me before hand." Jade and Luke followed Guy aboard the ship.

As Jade led them to their rooms, he and Luke had plenty of time to chat because the ship was so large and it was taking a while to get there. There wasn't much for Luke to tell, being back for only a month, so Jade talked for most of the time with Guy pitching in on occasion. They told Luke what everyone else had been up to the past few years:

Jade was still a General in the army, though he wasn't really on active duty, with the world being at peace; Tear was no longer a sergeant with the Order of Lorelei, and now lives in Yulia City with her grandfather, though she does Favors for the rulers of Malkuth and Kimlasca from time to time.  
"Emperor Peony," Jade said. "Is... still the same. He keeps naming his pets after people he knows." Luke laughed as they finally reached his room. "And Anise works under me, for the most part. She's working to become the first female Fon Master. But I can certainly say her personality hasn't changed in the least. She's still the same annoying-" BAM! "JAAADE! Where have you been! We've been waiting for you forever!~"

The three turned around in surprise to see Anise standing across the hallway with the door flung wide open. After glaring at Jade, she glanced to his side to see Luke standing there. "Master Luke!" She yelled as she ran across the hall and jumped into his arms. "I've missed you so much! Why don't you ever visit!" Luke looked down at her and laughed. "I'm sorry, Anise, I haven't found the time. But I see you've grown up just fine!" She backed off a bit, and twirled around. "Yep! I'm old enough now to find a good rich husband. Either of you wouldn't be up for grabs, would you?" She said, while pointing her finger between Luke and Guy. They both shook their heads quickly in response.

Anise started pouting as they heard another familiar voice speaking quietly behind her. "Anise? W-what's going on?" A small boy with green hair stuck his head out from the room Anise came from. Luke turned to the boy in surprise. _(I-Ion? But that's impossible! He's dead!)_ Anise, seeing Luke's surprise, and understanding why, stepped back next to the boy. "Luke, you might not remember him, but this is Florian, one of the original Ion's replicas."

_(One of Ion's... Oh! Right, we met him after Moh's death!)_ Luke stepped foreword, and knelt on the ground in front of the boy. "Yes, of course I remember." He held out his right hand. "Hi there Florian. It's been a while, so you might not remember me. My name's L-" he paused for a moment. _(Luke... That's not really MY name, is it? It's really Asch's... So then... Who does that make me?)_ As Luke pondered over this, Guy kicked him lightly in his side, regaining his attention. "Ah! Sorry. Luke. My name's Luke."

Florian slowly held out his hand to Luke's. "I-I'm F-Florian." As they shook hands, Anise said, "He's a little shy, but he'll open up more once you get to know him. Kinda like how Guy used to act around girls, only not to that extreme." Guy's face reddened in embarrassment. "Hey! Be quiet! I've long since gotten over that... For the most part..." As the friends shared in a laugh, Jade cleared his throat. "Well, how about we return to our rooms for a short break before we eat? Luke, Your's is right here, across from Florian's and next to Guy's." He pointed to the room behind him.

"Ah, okay, thanks."Luke turned and headed to the room. "I'm a little tired so I'm going to rest. I'll catch up with you guys before dinner." He walked in and closed the door behind him. Jade looked after him. "Guy, is something bothering Luke?" Guy shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Nothing gets by you, huh Jade? Come on, I might as well tell you too. If you wanna listen in too, Anise, that's fine as well."

Luke looked out the window of his room, as he sat on a chair facing the window. He watched the waves go by as the Tartarus sailed along the sea. _(Now that I think about it, the first time I met Asch, he was on the Tartarus, wasn't he? Well, he was our enemy back then but...)_ Luke let out a deep sigh. _(I just don't understand. Why did he always act like our enemy, when we treated him like a friend? He always distanced himself from me. Was it because I'm his replica? I ruined his life, so I suppose he had motive to hate me. But... He didn't have the right to go off and die on me! He never even told me what to do now that I know who I really am...)_

He paused for a moment. _(Who I really am... I don't even know THAT much. All I know is that I'm a replica of the REAL Luke fon Fabre... So if I'm not him... Who am I really?)_ As he thought about this, his head started to hurt more and more. _(Okay, okay! Too much deep thinking, I get it brain!)_ He tried to relax but the pain wasn't going away, it was only getting worse. (_I'll... Go find... Guy)_ Luke got up and unsteadily tried to walk to the door. As he opened it, the pain intensified suddenly, and he feel to the floor, screaming in pain. Luke could start to feel himself lose consciousness, but not before he heard an all too familiar voice echo three words in the back of his mind.

"You stupid dreck."

* * *

**Yuu: That one came out a little shorter than usual. But I originally thought this story was only going to be like... 3-4 chapters tops. It'll probably be at least 5. And I _think _I'll call you "dreck" from now on... I'm serious too.**

_Leiko: I really don't care all that much. But where's the bromance! I want yaoi!_

**Yuu: In do time, dreck, in do time ^_^ please review!**


	4. The Truth Unveiled

**Yuu: So tired~ I think we played Portal 2 too late last night. It took us over an hour to figure out 1 frickin' level -_-'**

_Leiko: So true. But what does that have to do with the story? "You guys get that pig unf*cked and get it on the tree line!"_

**Yuu: ...I don't know. But your comment was even more random, Lieutenant Dan!**

_Leiko: ^_^ We don't own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this._

* * *

Luke awoke to find himself lying on his bed. Only a light pain in the back of his head remained. He sat up, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. _(What WAS that earlier?)_He stood up and walked over to his bedroom door, opening it up. He stepped out into the hallway, and looked around. He went to the room next to his, and knocked. With no answer, he went across the hall and knocked on Florian's door. Still no answer.

_(Where is everyone?)_ "Hmmm... I'll try the control room." As he walked down the hallway, he glanced at the windows as he passed. Looking out, he noticed land not too far off. _(Must be Malkuth)_. As he rounded the corner, he bumped right into a sandy-haired man. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see y-" Luke stopped mid sentence. "Is that you, Genji?" The young man looked up at him. "Um, I'm Sorry, do I know you?" Luke laughed. "I guess you might not recognize me. It's me, Luke!" Genji stared at him for a moment, before his eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh Luke! Of course! Yeah, I remember. Sorry, you look different from back then. It's been a while, how are you?"

Luke smiled. "I've been fine, thanks. How about you? And your sister?" Genji laughed and finally let go of Luke's hand. "Good, good, we're both doing great!" Luke then asked, "So, what're you doing here, anyway?" He straightened his back in a proud manner. "My sister and I were asked to test out some new model planes in Malkuth. We're also designing our own, for the purpose of tourism, of course."

He let out a big grin as the door next to him opened. "Genji, what're you doing out here?" A young girl stepped outside the room. "Ah, Noelle, I'm sure you remember Luke." Genji said, as he pointed to Luke. She turned her head to look at the boy he was pointing at. She smiled and turned to give Luke a hug. "Of course I do, but it's been so long I hardly recognized you!"

Luke let her go and said, "I know, I'm sorry. But I'm here now!" As Noelle and Genji started reminiscing about the past, Luke stopped them. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Jade or Guy around? It's kinda important." Noelle and Genji nodded at the same time. "Yes, we just saw them not to long ago," Noelle said. "They'll still probably be in the control room, since we'll be landing soon." Finished Genji. Luke nodded, and promising to visit them later, walked down the corridor.

Finally, after a long walk and a few wrong turns, Luke arrived at the control room. He saw Jade and Guy talking to the people controlling the ship, while Anise and Florian were sitting in a corner talking. Luke strode in asking, "Hey guys, did I miss anything?" Everyone in the room turned their heads to look at Luke. Guy, looking the most surprised, walked up to him. "Oh, I don't know," he said. "You actually haven't much, for being unconscious for three days." Luke gave him a blank stare. "... Huh?"

Guy sighed at him. "Yep. Three days ago, after we separated, we heard you scream. But when we got back, you were already passed out on the floor." Anise got up, with Florian close behind. "You should apologize!" She said. "Florian started to freak out cause' he thought you were dead!" The small boy hid behind her. "A-Anise!" He pleaded. "I-I did not!"  
Jade turned to ask Luke a question. "Do you remember what happened before you blacked out, Luke?" He thought about it for a moment. "Well... I'm not exactly sure." He started. "My head just starting hurting really bad and I guess I just blacked out from the pain."

As he told them his story, his stomach started rumbling. Jade told him to get something to eat, since it's been a few days since his last meal. Luke left them and started down the hall to find the kitchen. After grabbing a bite to eat, he heeded out on the deck. He walked up to the railing, and breathed in the ocean air. He looked over to see the capital approaching. It was just as amazing seeing it this time as it was the first.

While Luke enjoyed his relaxation, his head started feeling weird again. But it wasn't pain, exactly. He couldn't describe what it was, really. "Not again," he muttered, hoping it wasn't a repeat of what happened earlier. It was then Luke heard... Something coming from somewhere. _{-eck.}_ A voice said. _(eck? What's an eck?)_ The voice then started coming in stronger and clearer. _{-me dreck.} (Okay, what the hell?)_ He started to look around the deck, confused as to where the voice was coming from. Seeing no one around, Luke started to panic a bit. _(Okay, no big deal. I'm just probably going crazy right now. That's not so bad, right?)  
_  
At this point, Luke could hear the voice perfectly. _{Listen to me dreck.}_ Luke froze. Being able to hear the voice clearly only confused him more. He knew that voice, and he couldn't possibly be hearing it now. "...A...Asch?" He stood for a moment, expecting a response. _(What am I doing? I'm obviously hearing things.)_He started to head back toward the ship entrance.

_{Well it's about damn time you heard me, dreck!}_ Luke screamed, and not the manly kind either. _{Oh, what a nice reaction you had there.}_ Luke looked around, expecting to see his original. "A-Asch, uh... Huh? Where are you?" He waited for a response. _{In your mind, obviously. I thought you'd at least be able to figure that out.}_Luke sighed. "Ah, okay th- WAIT, WHAT THE HELL? Aren't you dead? Or am I going crazy?" Luke clutched his head in frustration.

_{Of course I'm not dead! It takes a lot more than a few swords to kill me! But you could very well be going crazy, replica}_

"Okay, then care to explain WHY YOU'RE IN MY BRAIN?"

_{Well, first of all, you shouldn't talk to me out loud, or you'll LOOK like a crazy person. Secondly, do you remember when my physical body "died?" My fonons intertwined with yours; hence I am now somewhat a part of you.}  
_  
Luke laughed. "Ha! Good one! But seriously, if you've been inside me this whole time, why am I only hearing you now?"

_{What did I just say about talking out loud? Anyway, I've been trying to talk to you since you awoke on Hod. But I had trouble connecting certain fonons that would enable us to speak, which is why you had headaches. That was my doing.}  
_  
_(Well that's just great! I've got a dead guy speaking to me from inside my head, just perfect!) _

_{Well, dot get too cozy with it. I've been thinking of a way to get my physical body back. It'll take time though.} _

_(You've had a month to figure it out and you haven't even- you know what? Never mind. It doesn't matter.) _

_{Oh, there's something I should let you know before you get all high and mighty on me, dreck.} _

_(What is it?) _

_{I've heard everything you've ever said or thought in the last month. Including, "Why'd he have to die on me," or "I feel so alone without him"}_

Luke's face burned bright red before he stormed back inside, trying not to think about how happy he was knowing Asch was alive, fearing he would read his mind.

* * *

**Yuu: Tada! Asch makes his debut! Really, I've no idea what I'm even doing with this story anymore. It's starting to make no sense to me.**

_Leiko: Whatever dude! The only thing I care about is the fact Asch is back! Which means: STOP! yaoi time! (*starts dancing*)_

**Yuu: Not quite yet, but close. It's interesting to know Asch can mind-rape Luke, though. And just to clarify, regular parenthesis, () mean it's Luke's thoughts, and the curvy ones {} are Asch's thoughts.**

_Leiko: Hahaha! Please review!_


	5. Spark An Idea

**Yuu: This story is _really _turning out different than I originally imagined... Oh well, it'll work out in the end, anyway ^_^**

_Leiko: Yeah, I'll be the judge of that._

**Yuu: You're waiting for some sort of yaoi, aren't you?**

_Leiko: You know it! We do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this._

* * *

By the time Luke found his way back to the control room, he and Asch decided it would be best not to let anyone know about their... situation. It's not like they'd believe him, anyway. So they figured they'd wait until Asch (hopefully) got his body back before explaining it to them. "Ah, Luke." Guy said as he approached them. "Did you get something to eat?" Luke seemed startled at the sudden question. "Huh? What, oh, _oh_yeah, I did." Guy's expression looked worried. "Are you feeling alright?" Luke smiled. "Uh... yeah, I'm just... excited to be back in Malkuth. It's been a while, you know."

He laughed a little nervously before walking over to Genji and Noelle, who were talking in the corner. They continued their conversation from earlier. Luke, however, was not really paying attention. He was busy talking to someone else. _{If you act like that then they'll start to think something's up! Act more normal, would you?}_

_(Well excuse me, but I'm still getting used to the fact that someone I believed to be dead IS LIVING INSIDE ME! Oh, man I can't even imagine all the embarrassing things I've done and said that you've heard! This is SUCH an invasion of privacy!) _Asch laughed at this remark. _{Ha! You think that's bad! I can see everything you see as well, you know.}_ Luke let a puzzled look slip, receiving a strange glance by Genji. _{I must say, for as weak as you are, you look MUCH stronger when I see what's under the clothes.} _It took a moment for Luke to register what Asch meant.

"But, but that's, I mean..." he whimpered. He felt himself flush a dark red. "Y-YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" He froze as soon as he realized he'd spoken, no, _screamed_ aloud. Everyone turned to stare at him, raising an eyebrow. _{You idiot! You said that out loud! Didn't I warn you not to do that?}_Luke laughed nervously. "Haha, sorry guys. I uh... realized we're almost there and I uh... forgot to clean my sword! But I... left it in my room so, I-have-to-go-get-it-now-bye." He rushed out the last few words before sprinting out of the room, and heading back to his own. Jade turned to Guy. "Did he even bring his sword?" Guy shook his head and shrugged. "I have no idea."

"That was _so_embarrassing! I can't believe I did that!" Luke said, as he found his sword in his room.

_{I can't believe you did that either, dreck.}_

(I wouldn't have if you hadn't told me that you s-saw me n-n-n-)

{Naked?}

(Yes! I feel so violated! Ugh, this is the worst...)

{...At least you're not stuck in someone else's body.}

Luke froze. _(I'm sorry Asch. I didn't mean it li-)_

{What are you apologizing for, replica? Anyway, you should hurry up and meet with your friends. We'll probably be docking soon.}

Luke stood up and walked out into the hallway. "You mean _our_friends." He mumbled quietly under his breath, before slamming the door behind him.

Asch's intuition was exactly right. Not long after leaving the room, Luke bumped into his friends, who were making their way to the exit of the ship. Joining in with them, they made their way to the large, heavy doors. As the Tartarus came to a halt, the doors opened, and Luke felt warm heat touch his face; blinking from the sun, he stepped outside. The view was just as breathtaking as it was the first time he saw it. The large capital, the floating city of Grand Chokmah, was as beautiful as ever. The large tower-like structure stood in the center of a waterfall-surrounded island.

Luke was so distracted by the sight that he barely noticed everyone else had already started down the steps. When he caught up, he noticed they were all talking to a woman. "Nephry? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in Keterburg?" Jade asked. After hearing this, Luke obviously recognized the woman as Jade's sister Nephry, the mayor of their hometown Keterburg. "Well," she said with a worried look on here face. "About that… um, lets wait until we get back to the capital to discuss it, shall we? Emperor Peony will be able to explain it better to you." Jade, looking a little skeptical, nodded, and stated to walk off. Nephry then greeted the rest of their group. "Ah," she said, looking at Luke.

"Luke? I didn't expect to see you here!" She walked up to him and gave him a small hug. "It's good to see you." Luke nodded. "Yeah, it's been awhile. How have things been here?" This question caused Nephry to let out another worried look. "Uh, well, it was fine until recently… something came up, and since you guys are here, you might as well come with us to see the Emperor." With that, see turned around and started off after Jade. Shrugging, the group followed after them._ {I don't like this, replica. Something's not right.}_ Luke sighed. _(Really? What could have possibly given you that idea?)_

They were able to ride a carriage most of the way to the capital. Being up close to it, Luke thought it seemed a lot larger than the Baticul. The group followed Nephry and Jade through long corridors, up stairs, and around corners. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached Emperor Peony's throne room. He was leaning back into his throne, legs crossed, and a concerned look was on his face. When he noticed the crowd come in, he stood up and met them halfway across the room. "Ah! Jade, Guy, welcome back. You too, Anise, Florian." His gaze scanned the group, his eyes finally resting on Luke. His eyes lit up in slight shock. "Luke? Why, this is a surprise. I didn't know you were coming!" He walked over and shook his hand. "Yeah, me either," Luke responded.

After greeting the guests, Peony returned to his throne, while everyone else stood in front of him, their hands behind their backs. "Alright, I suppose holding off won't help us any, but I do hate delivering bad news. We received word that a small group of fon machine scientists from Belkend and Sheridan have started to research a new type of necromancy." Jade slightly flinched at this remark. "It's very similar to the art of making replicas. Except with this way, you only need the fonon frequency and the physical characteristics of the person you are trying to 'create.'" He looked from Jade to Luke. "We've discovered who it is they are trying to re-create: Van Grants."

A shocked group remained speechless, except for one person. "_Van-sensei?_" Luke stuttered. "Why would anyone- but he's dead! It shouldn't be possible!" Peony nodded. "We had a similar reaction. 'How could you bring back a person who's already dead?' You probably can't get his fonon frequency either, seeing as how we were never able to recover a body. We weren't especially worried at first about this at first, of course we still tried to apprehend the group, but a recent turn of events had changed our mind of how urgent this matter really is." _(Recent turn of events?)_ "We sent a trusted fonist to investigate this matter. Apparently, they were expecting this, and took her as a captive. It seems she was the one person they needed to bring Van back. Tear Grants, that is."

This shocked every one in the room "Tear?" Anise whimpered. "It was Tear that was taken?" Peony nodded. "But why!" Luke shouted. "What good would it do them to take Tear!" Peony stood up in front of the group. "Apparently, they plan to take certain parts of Tears frequency to attempt to re-create Van. Even though she was a seventh fonist and Van wasn't, they should still have many similar fonons because they were siblings." Luke took a step forward. "Then we have to go! We have to rescue Tear and stop them from resurrecting Van!" Peony nodded. "That's exactly what I intended. Originally, I was going to send Jade because he's been complaining of boredom recently. But now I've changed my mind. Guy, Anise, and you, Luke, I want you three to accompany Jade. Tear was taken while traveling through Kaitzur. Genji and Noelle, I want you two to fly them there on the Albiore IV."

They all nodded in agreement. The group started to prepare for departure: Genji and Noelle went to the Albiore, Anise was saying goodbye to Florian, who would be staying behind, Jade and Nephry were talking to Peony, and Luke was sitting in the corner, preparing himself mentally.

_(I can't believe Tear was taken… and people actually want to bring Van-sensei back!)_

_{How many times must I tell you NOT to call him sensei?}_

_(Ah, you're right. Sorry)_

_{Whatever. But I think I might've figured out how to get my body back.}_

_(What? Are you serious!)_

_{Of course. It could be dangerous to both of us though.}_

_(That's fine, just tell me how!)_

_{Well… we might need a fon machine. Which is why you NEED to find these scientists. They'll probably have the technology we need...}_

_(I'm not following…)_

_{What I MEAN, replica, is that we could use one of their new machines and input my data to create a body for myself. The only thing is that we'd need to carefully separate my fonons from yours…but that would mean…}_

_(What?)_

_{…That you would need to use your hyperresonance.}_

* * *

**Yuu: That _actually _took _forever _to write! I want to finish this story in the next two days, otherwise i won't be able to update for four days after that. But i don't see it happening :/**

_Leiko: You better not make us wait! Besides, I'm still waiting for the yaoi you promised!_

**Yuu: Okay, Luke _just_ ****found out that Asch is living inside his brain. How could anything happen in this situation? Be patient!**

_Leiko: Doesn't she suck? Anyway, please review!_


	6. The Risk We Took

**Yuu: Okay, I worked my butt off to get these last two chapters in, since I won't be able to update for a few more days.**

_Leiko: THANK YOU! I've been waiting for the yaoi!_

**Yuu: uh... yeah... We do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this...**

_Leiko: ... What was with that response?_

* * *

The flight to Kaitzur was extremely quiet. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts about the upcoming possible battle. The only thing the group knew was the location of the lab; not even if their targets had any weapons. They had all been most concerned about Tear; and if she was still alive or not. At least, everyone except Luke was. He was worrying about his own problem. _(A hyperresonance, huh?)_He was held up on what Asch had told him earlier: that the only way to separate them was to connect to a fon machine, and use his hyperresonance to separate his and Asch's fonons. After that, he had to combine them together again so they could enter Asch's body.

_(I just don't know if I can do it… What happens if I mess up? It could end up like Akzeriuth…)  
{Oh, what're you worrying about, Luke? It'll be fine.}  
_  
Luke jumped from suddenly hearing Asch's voice. He had forgotten that Asch could hear all of his thoughts. But this time, something felt different. Asch hadn't spoken to him condescendingly. He spoke to him with… care? And there was something else_…(Wait, did you just call me Luke?)_"Hey, all of you prepare yourselves to land, it has started to storm and it may get a little rough." Ginji said from the cockpit.

Luke now noticed that the ship was shaking a bit. He looked out the window to be met with a bolt of lightning right outside. Luke jumped back, and let out a little scream. "What are you doing Luke?" Guy said from the other side of the ship. "Oh, uh…nothing. The lightning just surprised me, is all." Guy raised an eyebrow then turned back to Jade. _{Oh, what a nice scream you had there. I wouldn't mind hearing that more often.}_ Luke felt his face flush and he asked, _(What's that supposed to mean?)_ Asch sighed, or at least what Luke thought was a sigh. _{Nothing, dreck. I knew you were dense but this is ridiculous.}_Just then, the Albiore started to rock back and forth as it descended.

As Luke tried to steady himself, he looked out the window to see that they were landing on a small island. "Are you serious?" He shouted to no one in particular, trying to be heard over the thunder. "Their lab's on an island? This is co cliché!" Guy laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is!" Jade then made his way out of the cockpit, trying to keep his balance by keeping next to the wall. "Even so, this is no laughing matter! We've no idea what to expect once we enter so we all need to be on guard!" The group nodded in agreement as they felt the ship finally land. After turning off the engine, Ginji and Noelle came out of the cockpit to talk to everyone. "Well be waiting here for you all!" Noelle said, while starting to open the door. "The storm's getting pretty bad, so try to make it quick! We can't stay here for too long if the waves get any higher!"

The group nodded in agreement, and jumped out. Luke immediately felt the cold rain sting his face. They ran across the land, following Jade who had memorized the way in. There was an entrance along the shore of an island through a bunker. As they slipped through, they saw a lighted hallway not to far off. Walking carefully along the wall, they followed the direction the light was coming from. Soon, they approached a large room filled with screens, wires, and many types of machines. Scanning the room, Luke noticed that there were three men and one woman wearing white lab coats. They were standing around a table, where the group noticed Tear lying on a chrome table.

Multiple colored lights surrounded her, and Luke assumed they were reading her fonons. Behind him, Anise whispered, "What do we do now? Do we attack?" Jade looked around the room, trying to analyze the situation. A man turned around, so to make sure they weren't seen, Jade ushered them back into the hall, with Anise at the end. "They don't look like they're armed, but-" _BOOM!_There was a sudden explosion right behind them. The group was launched into the room, all of them falling right on their faces. Surprised, the scientists all turned around to get a look at the intruders. Jade turned his head back to the hallway to a see a small wire shimmering on the ground. "Damn it! A tripwire!" Said Jade, as they all scrambled to their feet. All of them drew their weapons: Jade preparing his fonic arts, Anise her automated doll Tokunaga, and Luke and Guy their swords.

"In the name of Emperor Peony IX and the Malkuth Empire, stop what you're doing and release the girl!" Jade shouted. The four scientists backed up, blocking Tear with their bodies. The woman turned around, and started switching wires and moving them around. "Damn, we're so close!" She said. "Stop right there!" Jade shouted. "Anise!" Understanding what he meant, Anise closed in on the woman, using Takunaga to grab her and pull her back. "AH!" She screamed, as Takunaga's grip tightened on her. "Let. Me. Go!" She stuttered. Being preoccupied with restraining the woman, Anise didn't notice the man next to them reach into his pocket and pull out a bomb.

Jade whirled on the man, just a minute too late. His hand had already pushed the button in. Jade, Guy, and Luke rushed in, making quick work of the men. With the four scientists knocked out, their focus shifted to two things: Tear and the bomb. Luke reached over to look at the bomb, which was thankfully on a timer, instead of motion-censored. He looked at how much time they had left: 5:00. "Five minutes, huh? Not much time." Jade said concerned. Guy and Anise were checking on Tear, who seemed fine.

_{Well, this certainly complicates things, replica. But…I have a plan. We'll really be close on time though.}_ "Well, if you do I'd love to hear it!" Luke said aloud, not even caring if the others heard. He didn't have time to care. As Luke listened to Asch's plan, Guy started to lift Tear's unconscious body off of the table. "Ah…I see. Yeah it'll be close. But what other choice do we have?" Jade turned to Luke. "What are you talking about?" He exclaimed. Luke closed his eyes for a moment, regaining his composure.  
4:00  
"A plan." He responded. "Everyone come over here!" The group moved over to center around Luke as he began to explain. "Okay, Anise, you're going to use Takunaga to carry the four scientists. Guy, you need to carry Tear out, and make sure to keep her safe. Jade, you're responsible for getting everyone of the island in one piece. "Okay," said Guy. "But what about you?" Luke took a step back, holding the bomb up. "I'll get rid of this." Everyone was shocked by Luke's decision. "You can't do that! Just leave the bomb here and well make a run for it!" Luke shook his head.  
3:00  
"You and I both know none of us will make it out of this is we try that. This bomb, as small as it is, has the power to light up the whole area. Genji landed too close to the bunker. You'll never make it out in time and will be caught up in the explosion." Luke stepped back. "I'll head in the other direction, to try and give you guys extra time." Anise shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "No Luke! That way you'll die!" Luke knelt in front of her. "No I won't, Anise. I find a way, alright?" She leaned in and gave him a big hug. She then jumped back onto Takunaga's back. "Now go! Were losing time!" Guy furrowed his brows then sighed. "I guess there's no changing you're mind." He and Jade both put a hand in Luke's shoulder. "Good Luck." Luke smiled. "You too. Now, hurry!" The three turned around and ran back the way they came.  
2:00  
"I sure hope this'll work, Asch." Luke said as he walked over to the machine. He set the bomb down on the ground, and got up on the table. Different colored lights surrounded him, as he saw numbers and letters flash across screens all across the room. "Asch, I _really_ don't know how to work this!" He whimpered. _{I think all you need to do now, is separate our fonons. Since were not copying them, and have the original fonons of mine, we should be able to create my body with just that.}_  
1:00  
"I sure hope so." _{Alright, you can do this, Luke}_ Luke nodded. He focused all of his attention on the fonons in his body. He needed to create a hyperresonance to separate him and Asch. _(I've done it before. I can do it now.)_ He felt his energy surround him as he focused. He concentrated on un-tangling all of Asch fonons with his own. He had to quickly, but carefully, separate each one.  
:30  
{Running out of time, Luke!} But Luke could barely hear him, he was too focused on the fonons, and he was almost done. A figure only slightly taller than Luke began to take form next to him, as he started to reconstruct the fonons he had already removed, while separating the last few. It was now recognizably Asch's figure.  
:10  
Asch was standing next to him, and he started to become tangible. He finally reconstructed the last few fonons. "Asch there's no time!" He glanced at the clock.  
:5 Asch tackled Luke to the ground  
:4 He stuck out his hand, facing the bomb  
:3 Asch activated his _own_ hyperresonance  
:2 A beam hit the bomb, sending it far away from them  
:1 the bomb exploded

* * *

_Leiko: ... ARE YOU SERIOUS?_

**Yuu: I know, I know, not only a cliffhanger, but no yaoi. But i _promise _the next chapter has a lemon! I wrote these two chapters as one, but it was about 3,500 words. I don't like long chapters, so i split it in two. _That's _why there's no yaoi in this one.**

_Leiko: ... It better, my patience is wearing thin!_

**Yuu: It will! Please review!**


	7. In The End

**Yuu: Okay! Final chapter is here! And it _does_ have a lemon.**

_Leiko: About damn time!_

**Yuu: Thanks to my friend Kyo who co-wrote this chapter with me! (Mainly the smexy sex stuff XD)**

_Leiko: We do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this_. _If we did... It'd be filled with AschxLuke, obviously!_

_**WARNING: TAKE NOTICE THE RATING HAS BEEN SWITCHED TO M! CONTAINS YAOI (GUY X GUY)! AND IS A LEMON! READ AT OWN RISK!**_

* * *

And they felt it. The building started to go up in flames. Luke and Asch were launched out of the building, luckily landing right into the ocean. Unfortunately, the waves were still strong from the storm. Luke was too physically tired from using his hyperresonance to keep himself above water. He felt himself start to sink below the surface, hearing Asch calling out to him, "Luke!" He started to choke on the water, sinking deeper and deeper. _(At least everyone else's safe.)_

He thought he was going to drown. That is, until he opened his eyes to see Asch swimming down after him. But it didn't matter. Luke was out of breath. He closed his eyes shut. By the time Asch reached him, his body reflexed into attempting to take a breath of air. And when he did... he got one? _(Wait... what?)_Luke had suddenly felt a hard pressure against his mouth and body.

Luke opened his eyes to meet Asch's. He had his lips pressed against Luke's in a forceful manner. Asch finally moved his face back from Luke's, as he got his breath back again. Asch pointed up, and grabbing Luke by the hand, they swam up to the surface. Though they safely made it back to the surface, they weren't quite out of the woods yet. They were still stuck in stormy waters. Luke glanced around, hoping to find some sort of debris to float on. Instead, he found something much better.

Above them was a ladder, hanging down from a small aircraft hovering above them. Luke smiled, as he grabbed the ladder, and helped Asch up as well. The two climbed to the top, entering the small ship. They made their way to the cockpit, to find Noelle the one piloting the ship. "Hey Luke. Say hello to the mini Albiore!" She smiled, before giving a confused glance at Asch. "Who's that?" Luke laughed. "I'll explain later."

She flew the ship back to the Albiore IV that was being piloted by Ginji. She docked the smaller ship within the larger one. When they got out, Luke was greeted by a crying Anise, a proud Jade, and a concerned Guy. "You're _sure_ you're alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Luke shook his head. "Oh what are you, his mother?" This sudden comment startled everyone. They looked up to see Asch exiting the ship. "_A-Asch_?" Anise, Jade, and Guy all questioned in unison. Asch smirked and Luke laughed at their reaction. "Come on, I'll explain it to you guys."

The group made their way to the center of the Albiore, where Ginji and Noelle were piloting, and Tear was sitting down in the corner. "Ah! Tear! You're up!" Luke walked over to her. She stood up and hugged him. "It's so good to see you Luke! I was so worried when I woke up and they told me what happened." She backed up and noticed Asch standing behind Luke. "Asch?" She said surprised. "Ah, yeah, about that..." Luke started to explain the situation with Asch, which was pretty unbelievable to them. But seeing Asch there, they really had to choice but to trust him.

"Wow..." Guy said in wonder. "That explains a lot, actually." Luke looked at him in surprise. "_What_ does that explain, exactly?" Guy looked at him. "Well, you've been acting... _weird_ lately. And I suppose this explains it." Luke raised an eyebrow. "Well, _obviously_! I had someone living in my head!" The group shared in a laugh, as they all took a seat, relaxing from their adventure. Surprisingly, Asch sat down right next to Luke, like… _right _next to Luke, causing him to blush slightly. Averting his gaze, he looked over to see Ginji occasionally sneaking a glare at Asch, and Luke knew why. "You really should apologize to him, you know." He whispered to Asch. He turned to Luke and looked him right in the eye. "What do you mean, dreck?" _(Oh, so I'm a dreck again, huh? Whatever) _"_I said, _that you should apologize to Ginji." Asch gave him a blank stare. "Why?" Luke sighed. "Because you kinda left him for dead at that fight on Hod?" Asch looked up in remembrance. "Uh, doesn't ring a bell." Luke sighed yet again.

There was a lot to explain to Emperor Peony when the group returned to Malkuth. However, Jade, Guy, and Anise volunteered to explain it to him since Tear needed to be checked by a doctor, and Luke and Asch were finally being hit with fatigue from using their hyperresonance's. Emperor Peony set them up with their own rooms for the night, since they would be leaving the next day. It was night time when the two finally got to the entrances of their rooms. "Hey, Asch?" He looked over at Luke. "What is it?" Luke hesitated in asking Asch the question that was in the back of his mind. "Uh, well… now that you have you're body back… are you going to… um… come back to Kimlasca with me?" Asch's eyes lit up in surprise. "It's just that, uh, you know, that's you're home. And I'm sure that mother and father will be happy that you're back. So will Uncle and Natalia… and um… me, obviously." Luke felt himself blush. "Uh, well, just think about it, alright? Night!" He quickly opened the door to his room and closed it behind him before Asch could answer.

_(That was so embarrassing!)_ Luke thought as he lay back on his bed. He sighed, worried whether or not Asch would come back with him. He crawled back on his bed, resting on his head on the pillow. Closing his eyes, he felt himself drift off to sleep, despite the loud thunder coming from outside.

Luke was surprised to awake from feeling sudden pressure on him, and not the storm happening outside. Still half asleep, he opened his eyes to find Asch right on top of him, his arms on each side of Luke's head. "Asch!" Luke exclaimed. "What're you doing in my room?" Asch leaned in, his head only inches from Luke's. "What does it look like? I'm thanking you." He said matter-of-factly. He moved his face closer to Luke's. "A-Asch, that's-mph!" Luke was cut off as Asch's lips finally reached his own. From just this one touch, Luke could feel his entire body heat up. Asch pressed his lips against Luke's harder, asking for entrance. Luke gladly allowed him to explore his mouth. The two rivals had a battle between teeth, lips, and tongue. Asch finally had to pull back, to allow them both to catch their breath.

Panting, Asch proceeded to strip Luke of his shirt, lifting it up off of him. Locking Luke in another deep kiss, Asch skillfully moved his hands across his replica's body, receiving moans of pleasure from him. He laughed lightly before moving his hands further down, pausing and Luke's waist. He pulled the waist line of Luke's pants down, and continued to strip Luke completely naked. His face flushed in embarrassment, while his body got even hotter when he noticed Asch eyeing every aspect of Luke's body. "I stand correct." Asch whispered in Luke's ear. "You _do_ look much better without clothes." Luke turned his face away from Asch's. "W-what're you saying?"

Asch slowly moved one hand down Luke's body, finding his entrance. He traced it with a finger, before slowly pushing it in. Luke grunted in slight discomfort at this new feeling. Asch moved his other hand to Luke's now hard member. He began to slowly stroke him as he carefully put in a second finger. "A-Asch!" Luke stuttered. He looked up to see Luke's intoxicating face, turning Asch on more. He kissed Luke again, as he started to move his fingers in and out faster, before adding a third. He felt Luke squirm in discomfort as the pain started to outweigh the pleasure. "Just relax Luke." Asch said in a soothing tone. "The pain won't last long."

He started to thrust his fingers in harder and faster, hoping to reach that one spot of Luke's… and he found it. He heard Luke scream in pleasure as his back arced. Asch had finally found the one spot of Luke's that would bring him the ultimate pleasure. After hitting that spot a few more time, Asch new it wouldn't be long before he came. He pulled his fingers out of Luke, who now felt the emptiness inside him. He let out a little whine, wanting to be filled again. Asch had to admit, he liked seeing his replica's pleading face. But it wasn't fair if he felt all of the pleasure, now was it? Asch positioned himself between Luke's legs. He knew what was coming, and Asch noticed Luke's body tense up. Asch leaned in next to Luke's ear. "It's okay, just relax." Asch stole another kiss from Luke. Finally feeling Luke relax slightly, Asch started to enter.

As he pushed his way into Luke, Asch heard him grunt in pain through their kiss. Once he was all of the way in, Asch waited a moment to let Luke adjust to the pain. Soon, Asch felt Luke rock back against him, asking for Asch to start moving. And he did. His thrusts started out slow, then the pace quickened as he lost his self-control. He slammed into his replica faster and harder, hearing screams of ecstasy come from him as he hit his prostate. Asch knew it wouldn't be long before either of them released. "A-Asch!" Luke muttered. "I, I think I'm going to-" He was cut of as Asch thrusted into him again. He reached down to pump Luke a few times before he released. Soon after, Asch too came, filling Luke with his hot liquid. He collapsed onto him, both of them panting as they came down from their highs.

Asch pulled out of Luke and they lay there for a short while, listening to the thunder and watching the lightning outside. After a while, Luke rolled over to look at his original. "That was one heck of a thank you, Asch. Is that how you normally thank people?" Asch let out a laugh before answering, "Wouldn't you like to know…" Luke blushed before turning hostile at Asch's response. "Hey! That was a-" Asch turned over and pushed his lips onto Luke's. He pulled back and asked, "Does _that _answer you're question?" Luke flushed and lay back down, resting his head on Asch's shoulder. "I… I think… I um… well… I love you, Asch…" Luke's question floated in air before he heard Asch's response. "Yeah," He responded. "Me too."

* * *

**Yuu: And there it is! This whole story was sparked by a thought i had: If Asch and Luke were in love, would that make them narcissists? lol XD I actually had a thought for an epilogue... If i do it, it probably won't be up for a few days though. I haven't decided yet.**

_Leiko: Finally we get the Buttsex! Thank you Kyo!_

Kyo: No problem, it was my pleasure ^_^

**Yuu: Yeah, cause I deserve no credit, whatsoever.**

_Leiko: Nope. Cause you made us wait forever! Please Review! Oh, and does anyone think she should make an epilogue?_

Kyo: I'll make sure there's at _least_ a little yaoi~


	8. Nothing Without You

**Yuu: I only had the basic idea for this... and the rest was made up on the spot XP**

_Leiko: Tch. No lemon._

**Yuu: Shut it, Perv! We do not own Tales of the Abyss, the characters, or anything in this.**

* * *

It had been three months since Luke and Asch returned to Kimlasca. Yet another celebration occurred to honor Asch's return. Their parents cried in joy to have both sons home. The King and Natalia were overjoyed as well. The only problem: there were now _two_heirs to the Fabre house. Luke, however, knew immediately what he wanted to do. He stepped down, allowing Asch to be the first-in-line. It was his originally anyway. He thought that once all of this was settled, everything would be alright. Now that Asch was back, Luke believed he could continue to live a peaceful life, right next to the man he loved. Or so he thought.

* * *

Luke was finishing a peaceful dinner with his parents and Asch, when a servant walked in on them. "Excuse the interruption," he said. "But the King has requested the presence of Asch-sama in his chambers." Stepping back and bowing, the man left as quickly as he came. Asch, mumbling under his breath what sounded to Luke like, 'not again', said he'd be back, and left the room. _(I wonder what's going on... Uncle usually calls both of us when he has something to discuss, even though Asch is the heir...)_Luke's curiosity got the better of him as he started after Asch.

He snuck out of the mansion and headed to the Kings chambers, thinking he'd eavesdrop from the window in his room. As he passed the garden, he noticed Natalia was picking flowers while humming cheerfully. Figuring he'd have some time before Asch got there, Luke walked over to her. "What're you doing, Natalia?" She looked up at him startled. "Luke! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She stood up in front of him. "I'm picking flowers, obviously." Luke rolled his eyes. "I _mean_, you seem weirdly happy?" Her eyes lit up at this remark, and she blushed slightly. "Oh, right. Yes I suppose I _am_ very happy." When Luke questioned why, she simply said, "You'll find out soon enough," before skipping off.

_(…Was she skipping? And what am I going to find out about?) _Shrugging, Luke continued to his destination, hurrying his pace in order to get there on time. When he saw the window in sight, he quietly walked up to it, and ducked under so as not to be seen. Luckily, the guards hadn't yet made their rounds. He slowly and carefully pulled the window open, just enough so he could hear what was going on.

"Thank you for coming, Asch. There's something I wish to discuss with you." Luke heard his uncle's voice through the crack. _(Phew! Made it just in time, it seems.) _"May I ask why only I was summoned?" Hearing Asch speak caused Luke's heart to race. "You wonder why I only asked for you and not Luke as well?" He heard nothing for a quick moment. "It's because this has nothing to do with him." Luke felt a small twinge of pain in his heart. _(Nothing to do with me?) _He heard footsteps move closer before his uncle continued to speak. "I believe that you've grown into fine young man, Asch."

_(Yeah… VERY fine indeed… Wait, focus, Luke, FOCUS!) _"I've spoken about this to my advisors, and they believe that is a good idea." He heard Asch respond. "What is, uncle?" The king's voice resounded throughout the room. "The idea of you and Natalia marrying." _(What?... Asch and… Natalia?)_ "We've had it arranged for you two to marry since you were young, mind you." _(Marry? Asch is going to… marry Natalia?)_ Luke felt so much pain in his chest, and tears were stinging his eyes. "Both of you are old enough, and we believe it is as good a time as any. I know Natalia is looking forward to it." _(So that's why she… but that's… I mean, Asch is…) _Luke couldn't even think straight. "Well, uncle… that certainly _would_ be a good idea."

Luke froze. _(What? Asch… Asch thinks that… but, what about… what about me?) _He heard Asch speak again, but Luke couldn't make out what he said. He was already running far away from there. He thought that Asch loved him. How could he agree to marry her? Luke ran as far and as fast as he could, not even noticing that he was already outside of their estate. By the time he finally realized, he had no idea where he was. It was already getting dark, and he was in an unfamiliar wooded area. _(Okay, Luke, calm down…)_ He slowed to a stop and tried to get his breath back.

He sighed, and slumped down with his back against a tree. "…." _(Alright, I probably over-reacted back there… Asch can't exactly refuse uncle, can he? A-and I knew that there was an engagement! Hell, I used to be engaged to her!) _"I… I know all that, but still… why? I… wouldn't even be alive if not for him… I guess… I really am nothing without him…" Just as he started to upset himself again, he heard rustling in the nearby bushes. He stood up and reached for his sword behind him… which he didn't have. "Oh, for the love of-" He cut himself off as he heard a… roar? Stepping out from behind the bushes was a liger. _(But… I didn't think there were any ligers lived around here!)_ He took a step back, with his hands out in front of him. "Niiiice Liger… just stay there…" But it was too late and the liger pounced at him.

* * *

Asch wandered through the hallway, returning to his room. But before he could reach it, he was cut off by his parents. "Oh, Asch! There you are!" His mother ran to him, with his father right behind. "Please tell me you've seen Luke!" He shook his head. "No, not since dinner. Why, what's wrong mother?" Asch started to worry, wondering what could have happened. "He's disappeared. He left shortly after dinner, and not to long after that, we saw him running out of the mansion." His father said. "We called out to him, but he must not have heard." His mother added, "And he looked _terribly_ upset. I've no idea what happened."Asch walked into his room, and picked up his sword. "I'm going out to look for him. I won't be gone long, I promise." He added, seeing his mother's worried face.

He left the mansion, and headed in the direction his parents had said Luke ran off in. He noticed there were some broken sticks on the ground, and some grass that was lying down. "Must have gone this way." He followed the trail as best he could, but the moonlight was being cut off the deeper he went in. But he could still somewhat sense the direction his replica was in. Ever since they were separated, Asch could still somewhat _feel_ his replica in a certain sense. Sometimes he could sense where he was, or what he was feeling. It helped to know what he was doing, knowing he was being faithful. But he'd never let the dreck know this, of course. As he continued through the forest, he felt Luke's presence getting closer and closer. He noticed a small clearing up ahead, and sensed that Luke was there.

As he stepped through, he immediately noticed a trail of blood leading off away from Asch. His heart raced as he followed the trail, leading him back into the woods. He looked up and saw Luke, leaning against a tree, covered in sweat. He was holding a large branch across his chest, and Asch saw that the blood trail _was _coming from Luke. There was a large gash on his left leg. Luke, sensing his original's presence, opened his eyes to meet Asch's. He was knelt down right in front of him. "Oh, nice of you to show up. Did you know that there were ligers in this forest? I didn't. Imagine my surprise…" Luke tired to put up a brave front, but Asch could see right through him. "Drop the sarcasm, replica. Let me see your leg."

He reached out only for Luke to slap his hand away. Obviously, Luke hadn't planned to, and looked just as surprised as Asch. Luke looked away as Asch ripped off his sleeve, and tied it around Luke's leg. He grunted in pain, but otherwise said nothing. "Come on," Asch said, holding out his hand. "Let's go." Luke mumbled something under his breath. "Speak up, I can't hear you." Luke looked up at him. "Don't wanna." _{…Don't wanna? What're you, five?} _"What are you saying?" Luke glared at him. "I don't want to go back. Not with you, at least." He pouted as he turned away, crossing his arms. "And why not?" Asch said. He leaned in close, so his mouth was right next to Luke's ear. "You don't want me, _Luke_?"

Hearing the way Asch said his name sent shivers down his spine. Even so, Luke held his ground, pushing Asch away. "N-no I don't, so just go!" Asch was generally surprised. Luke never denied his advances before. Luke held onto the tree behind him, trying to give himself leverage to pull up. He succeeded in standing, using the branch he had to help himself up. But when he tried to walk, he put too much pressure on his left leg and he fell forward. Much to Luke's dismay, Asch caught him right in his arm. "L-let go!" Luke exclaimed, trying to escape Asch's grasp. But he was too strong, and he pulled his replica closer. "Not until you tell me why." He said, causing Luke to stop squirming.

He turned away so Asch couldn't see his face. "J-Just let me go, alright! You're going to have to soon, anyway…" Asch looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?" Luke blushed all the way to his ears. "W-well, you're going to marry N-Natalia, so…" _{Ah~ so THAT'S what this is about} _"So, really you're just jealous." Luke glared at him and blushed. "I am _not _jealous!" Now that Luke was facing him, Asch took the opportunity to steal a kiss. Luke pulled back, flustered. "W-what do you think you're doing?" Asch let out a small laugh. "I'm _not _marrying Natalia, Luke."

"… What?" Asch raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think that I'd marry _her _when I have _you_?" Luke blushed before answering. "B-but you said that it would be a good idea…" Asch rolled his eyes. "Because it _would _be. Did you hear what I said after that?" Luke shook his head. "I _obviously_ turned him down. At first he questioned it, and then I gave him another idea that would work better." Luke looked at him. "What's that?" Asch smiled. "I don't know… marrying a certain Duke from Malkuth to strengthen a peace treaty?" Luke laughed. "That is _so_ not going to happen."

"No," Asch agreed. But it'll distract him from this." He bent down and turned his back to Luke. "Hop on," he said. Luke turned red. "Wha- I am _not_ riding on you're back." Asch turned his head. "Would you prefer I carry you princess-style? I honestly wouldn't mind." Luke quickly wrapped his arms around Asch before he changed his mind. He stood up and looped his arms under Luke's knees, careful not to hurt his leg even more. "By the way, Luke…" Asch started. "Hm?" He muttered. "Don't think you're off the hook for all the trouble you caused me. Once you're looked at by the doctor, I'll make sure you're punished _thoroughly_."

Asch kept his word, and the two spent the night in a passionate embrace.

* * *

**Yuu: Okay! _Now _the story's done! I _had _to do the whole "marry Natalia" thing, cause like... idk. He was engaged to her ya know! I needed to fix that... hehe...**

_Leiko: Ha! Luke had SUCH an attitude! But i agree, Asch is VERY fine indeed..._

**Yuu: lol you know it! Thanks for all the support guys!**

_Leiko: Arigatou Gozaimasu! Please review!_


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